Explore the Spiritual Energy of Full and New Moons

By
RITUALS

Mon Apr 23 2018

3 min read

The sun sees your body. The moon sees your soul.

This quote, attributed to an ancient proverb, is an interesting take on humanity’s relationship with the moon. Often, we look to the sun to provide light and clarity, but it is the moon that sees us through the darkest hours. As people, we go through phases, just as the moon does every month. Here’s how you can harvest the spiritual energy of the full and new moons to help you lead a more soulful life.

The full moon and forgiveness

The appearance of a full moon symbolises many things. Cosmically speaking, it’s the time of the month where energy peaks, and then releases—something that writer Ariana Palmieri calls “a cosmic sigh.”

But what does this mean for you personally?

Simply put, the stronger your connection to the full moon, the more your heart chakra is aligned. Your heart chakra is home to kindness and forgiveness. This means that a full moon is actually the perfect time to let go of negativity. In this way, you prepare yourself for a new chapter, just as a full moon gives way to a new moon.

A full moon ritual in five steps

The following ritual can help you harvest the powerful energy of a full moon.

1. Breathe in silence

Turn off your smartphone, and take 5 long breaths. Hold each for 5 seconds and try to think of nothing other than its cleansing effect.

To start anew, you need to identify the problems of the past. This could be a habit you’d like to change, a bad situation, or even a person in your life. Expressing this through writing can give you more clarity than simply thinking about these things.

A new moon for a new beginning

A new lunar phase begins with the appearance of a new moon. The energy most associated with this phase is that of starting fresh. If you performed the full moon ritual, your heart chakra is aligned and open for a new beginning.

From a spiritual standpoint, the new moon is the perfect time to start a new project. Your energy from the last lunar cycle has been cleansed, giving you a spiritually clean slate.

New moon ritual to achieve goals

Whereas the full moon ritual focused on identifying and letting go of the negative influences in your life, this new moon ritual uses similar tools to direct your attention to reaching new levels of success. Breathe in silence and light a candle—but this time, because your old energy is already cleansed, focus on the future.

Instead of writing down what’s bothering you, harness the power of the new moon to set your new intentions into motion. It’s about affirmation without limits, so don’t worry if what you’re writing seems unrealistic at the time. Everything should be phrased positively to nurture the new energy you’re welcoming.

Once you’ve done this, you can choose to physically send your desires off into the world. Some people do this by tying their list to a balloon and watching it float towards the new moon. Others burn the list on the end a stick and watch the smoke carry their wishes into the stars. As long as you’re doing this in full view of the moon, it’s really just a personal preference.

The moon affects all living things, but humans are the only beings who are able to experience this in a mindful way. Next time you look into the sky at night, pay attention to what phase the moon is in, and remember how its energy can enrich your daily life.